Letter to Heaven
by WhitethornWolf
Summary: It's been a year since Son Goku died, and it's starting to sink in. One-shot. Fluff. COMPLETE


**Letter to Heaven**

The young boy strolled casually down the well-worn path. The soil was wet from a recent rainfall and his shoes sank into it as he walked. He didn't pay attention to the mud sticking to his shoes. The path was well made and worn from being walked on over the years, and his mother wouldn't mind much - she was used to muddy shoes, scraped elbows and torn clothing. After all, raising young children was like that.

Son Gohan could have flown, but the beautiful weather compelled him to walk instead - and the winding path brought back memories: memories of sunny days, of running through golden fields, fishing with family in the calm lake near his home.

The boy broke into a trot as grass fields gave way to forest. The morning sun was lost behind a canopy of leaves, vines and branches. Beneath the trees the air was cool and slightly damp. The dark atmosphere only added to its mystery, though Gohan failed to notice it. Many a walk had been taken here previously, and the woods no longer held as much excitement for him. He was looking for something; something he had seen the day before, when she came here alone. He had watched her from the sky.

There.

A massive oak tree, one of many, stood before him. Like the others, it was pitted and scarred from close calls with energy blasts - according to Father, training in an environment like the forest encouraged reflex development, and the trees had taken their share of beatings over the years. However unlike the others there was a small mound of grass, wildflowers and moss nestled in the base.

Gohan crouched down to examine the decoration more closely. A single piece of wood had been planted in its centre, and he could make out the characters for his family name clumsily carved on the rough surface. The branches of the old oak, hanging low to the ground, sheltered nature's tombstone over a grave with no body. He smiled.

Something white flashed in the nest of tiny yellow flowers. Gohan dug his hand into the decoration. Dirt stained his hands and the sleeve of his shirt, but eventually strong fingers seized its prize. He drew the object out slowly.

It was a piece of paper; dirty, slightly crumpled and folded in half. On one side the characters for 'father' were written in hasty brush strokes. Gohan smiled. She was never very good at writing.

He sat on the ground beside the decoration, ignoring the damp dirt and foliage, and unfolded the paper.

_Its' been a yeer Papa I realy realy miss yu._

Gohan frowned, squinted at the paper, then held it up to the light. He read on, mentally correcting the numerous spelling mistakes.

_It's been a year, Papa. I really, really miss you.  
__Gohan__ says you're watching over us and you always will be. But I can't see you? If you're there you should come back to us. I wish I could see you._

__  
Gohan smiled at the words, written in a child's language.

_Mama says you're an angel now. Do you have wings like the angels in my picture books? Do you think I could be an angel too?  
Big brother and Mama are good. Gohan is studying harder now. Mama says I must study more next year but I don't want to. I want to be a fighter like you and help people out._

Gohan lifted the piece of paper higher into the dappled sunlight streaming from holes in the forest canopy. Here the letter was distorted; the ink was marred where the little girl's tears had dripped onto the paper.

_I get sad sometimes because you're not here, but I try not to cry. Mama says it's okay to but I know you don't like it when I cry.  
I never mean to be sad because you said you like it when me and Gohan are happy. But my heart hurts because I know you can't come home._

A droplet splashed onto the letter and distorted the messy writing further. Gohan touched his cheek; his fingers came away wet.

_I don't know how to send a letter to heaven and I can't ask Mama because she'll get sad again. So I hope you can find it when you're watching over us.  
Maybe I can visit you in heaven.  
I have to go cause Mama says it's time to eat.  
I love you so much.  
Miss you Papa.  
Love Chiyo._

Gohan gently placed the letter back in the tangle of wildflowers, the way he had found it. She would be angry if she knew he had read it. Best not to tell her.  
He stood up, brushed the dirt off his clothes, and turned to go home. But for a moment he swore that his father was standing in the entrance to the forest, waiting for him. But a second later, the image vanished.

_It's just the memories_, he told himself. _Just memories._


End file.
